Tears
by Team Sherlock and Watson
Summary: Another whatif story. What if Aragorn was Thranduil's adopted son instead of Elrond's? A dramatic story with a powerfull message. Please read and review. No flames.


17

Tears.

Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Aragorn, or any other characters from The Lord of the Rings. Please Read and Review, no flames.

With a start Legolas woke in a cold sweat. He had just woke up from a terrible nightmare, and he was glad that it was over. He shook his head to try to clear his thoughts and get a view of his surroundings. In his panic he had forgotten that last night he had climbed into a tree to meditate. He didn't stray far from the Fellowship, just near enough to come quickly to their aid if they needed him. His thoughts came back to the nightmare he had. Someone from the fellowship was in pain and agony. Worst of all, the person in the dream was dying and he couldn't tell who it was. Sighing he climbed down off of the tree. _Maybe Gandalf can help me, _he thought. The wizard was a very wise man and one of his dearest friends. He walked over to the camp and gazed over his companions. Gimli, the dwarf, was leaning against a tree and smoking his pipe. Frodo, the ring bearer, was still sleeping, although his sleep was a very restless sleep. _So even the hobbit's sleep is disturbed by nightmares. _Sam, another hobbit of the group, was busy cooking breakfast at the campfire. Merry and Pippin, Frodo's cousins, was fighting as usual. Gandalf, the wizard, was watching them and laughing gently to himself. Boromir, the son of Denathor, was polishing his shield. Suddenly Legolas's heart leapt to his throat. Where was the ranger Aragorn? A kind voice pierced his thoughts.

"Legolas my friend, are you alright? You look very pale?"

"I am alright Boromir, just worried. Where is Aragorn?" he asked with concern.

"He went off to scout the area but he will probably be back soon. Although that was two hours ago." Legolas's face fell.

"He should have had someone go with him." He said with great concern.

"Why's that?" asked Boromir.

"I sensed something wrong about him the other night. Weather it was sickness or something else I do not know. But I hope nothing has happened to him." _Oh Valar, _he prayed, _let him be safe. If something happened to him I would never forgive myself. _Suddenly a cry broke the silence of the camp.

"Legolas! Orcs! It's an ambush!" Legolas turned toward the sound of the cry and his heart sank. It was coming from the ranger Aragorn. And from the way he was running, it looked like he was seriously wounded. Legolas quickly picked up his bow and arrows and began shooting the orcs that were chasing the wounded man. With great speed and accuracy he fell every last one and Aragorn reached the safety of the camp. The hobbits had stopped what they were doing to see if their friend and guardian was all right.

"Thank you Legolas, my brother." Said the ranger, who was slightly swaying on his feet.

"You're welcome. Pray tell me, what happened my brother?" But Aragorn did not get a chance to explain what happened for without warning the ranger's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed.

"Aragorn!" cried Frodo.

"Don't worry little one," said Gandalf comfortingly to the ring bearer. Legolas knelt down at his fallen brother's side and noticed with horror his blood-soaked shirt. He ripped it open and noticed the terrible gash on the man's right side.

"Boromir," he said. "Get some fresh bandages from Aragorn's pack and some healing herbs. I'm going to try to stop the bleeding as much as possible." _Please don't die brother,_ prayed the young elf. _We have been through so much together,_ and Legolas's mind went back to all the times that he had spent with his brother, the good and the bad.

_The day they first met. Are You an Angel?_

_Legolas and his father rode through the ruins of the city. It had been viciously attacked by orcs and no one was spared, not even the children. Legolas thought, they had won, but at a great cost. And now the orcs will pay for all the blood that they had spilled. Legolas and his father was about to turn away from the scene when a scream reached their ears._

_"It sounds like a cry of a little one Father!" said the elf, and they both rode over to where they heard the cry. There running toward them, was a little 2 year old boy. The young elf dismounted his horse and ran to the little boy's aid._

_"Angel." He whimpered. Legolas quickly picked up the frightened child and carried him in his arms. The child had matted brown hair and the greyest eyes that the elf had ever seen. But something about the child seemed familiar to him. _

_"Father, do you know who this child could be?" Legolas's father looked at the child and his face fell._

_"Yes my son I'm afraid I do. This is the king's son. I fear his father has suffered the same fate as all the others." Legolas felt heartbroken. He had loved the King of Gondor like he loved his own father. Now the king was dead and the only living hope for the kingdom of men was his young son. Legolas's father's sadden voice broke his thoughts._

_"Come, let us leave this place. We must take the little one home so if he has any wounds they can be healed." Legolas carefully mounted his horse so as not to drop the child who was now sleeping peacefully in his arms. And all the way on the journey home he sang to the sleeping child._

_Latter that night Legolas went into his father's healing room to check on his young charge. The words that the young child said to him bothered him and he wanted to know why the little one said them. He entered the healing room to find his father putting a cool cloth on the child's head._

_"Is the child ill my father?" he asked with concern._

_"He is burning with fever but I gave him some fever-reducing tea so he will be better soon. But I have a question for you my son. I have thought out something seriously over a number of times and I have considered taking him in as another son. His name will be Estel for now till he is old enough to know his true heritage. So how would you like to have him as your little half-brother?" Legolas smiled._

_"I would be very happy if he was my little half-brother. Can I take over for you awhile? You look tired father."_

_"Yes, thank you my son. That way you can form a bond between you and him." The king got up and Legolas took his place beside the little child's bed. When his cool hand touched the child's fevered brow his eyes fluttered open._

_"Angel?" the little one murmured._

_"Hello little one, how are you feeling?" he said lovingly._

_"Tired." Legolas suddenly remembered what he wanted to ask the little one._

_"Can I ask you two simple questions?" The little boy looked at him in a curious way. Legolas laughed gently at the way the child looked at him._

_"Don't worry, it's nothing too serious. First of all, how would like to be a permanent member of our family?" The little boy's eyes widened in surprise at the elven prince's words so Legolas took that as a defiant yes._

_"The other question is why do you call me angel?" The boy's face fell. Did he do the wrong thing by calling the young elf that? Without thinking he reached up and softly touched Legolas's hair. Normally the prince would have resisted a human's touch but this time he didn't mind._

_"You glow like angels." Then the little boy closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Legolas watched the little one with great love in his heart. Humans were curious beings, he thought to himself, and he knew that in time, he would grow to love the future King of Gondor and his new brother._

_Not Afraid of Anything…Except Spiders! (Aragorn is 5 years old in this flashback)_

_Estel ran into his brother's room with excitement. He had something he wanted to ask him and he couldn't wait to see what his brother's response would be._

_"Legolas!" He squealed in delight, "I have something to ask you." Legolas flinched for the little boy's squeal had hurt his ears._

_"What is it that you want little brother?"_

_"Are you afraid of anything?" Legolas pondered that question. That was certainly a strange question for Estel to ask._

_"No, little brother, I'm not afraid of anything."_

_"Are you sure big brother?" Legolas nodded._

_"All right then, I'm going out to play now." Estel ran out of his brother's room and outside to the gardens where he liked to play. "My brother not afraid of anything?" he thought. That's strange. Surely there had to be something he was afraid of. Suddenly a spider that was crawling on a tree nearby caught his eye. Hmm, he thought. Could his brother be afraid of spiders? There was only one way to find out. When his brother was out training the older elves in archery he would sneak into his brother's room and put the spider in his bed. Carefully picking up the spider so as not to hurt him, he carried him into the house and put him in a box in his room and waited till his brother left for the archery training. When his brother finally did leave he snuck in with the spider in the box and placed the spider on his brother's bed. Then he raced back to his own room and decided to read awhile so he could hear his brother's reaction when he found the spider in his bed. An hour later he heard his brother's bedroom door open. He held his breath, waiting expectantly to hear what would happen next. Suddenly his brother's scream broke the silence of the palace._

_"Aiee, there's a spider in my bed!" Unable to control himself, Estel laughed out loud. But totally unknown to him, Legolas heard him._

_"Estel!" said the elf with a hint of anger in his voice. Estel slowly walked out of his room and entered his brother's room. Waiting for whatever his brother was going to do to him._

_"Why did you put the spider in my bed?"_

_"I wanted to see if you were afraid of them. You said you were not afraid of anything so I used the spider to see if it was true." Tears filled his eyes. At those tears the prince's anger quickly melted and he wiped them away from his brother's eyes._

_"Well as you can probably guess, I failed that test miserably. Don't cry. I forgive you." Estel's face brightened and he hugged his big brother's waste._

_"Just don't try anything like that again, evil human." Legolas said playfully._

_"Prissy elf." Estel shot back. Soon the halls of the King of Mirkwood echoed with the melodic laughter of an elf and the childish laughter of a future king of Gondor._

_Little Sick Ranger._

_Legolas got up feeling very happy. Today he was going to give Estel his first archery lesson. He was 10 years old now and was strong enough to use a bow. He dressed in his fighting tunic and braided his hair to keep it out of his face. Then he went downstairs to eat breakfast with his father and his brother. He saw that his father was there but his brother wasn't._

_"Where's Estel father?"_

_"He's probably still sleeping. We will wait awhile for him. I see you are going to teach him how to use a bow today."_

_"Yes father." It was at that time that Estel walked into the room._

_"Good morning my son, how are you feeling today?" Estel smiled weakly and mumbled "Fine." He sat down beside his brother who was pouring some milk for him in his glass._

_"Do you know what is going to happen today little brother? Today I will teach you how to use a bow."_

_"Great." He said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. He picked at the food on his plate for he didn't feel like eating anything._

_"Are you not hungry my son? asked his father with concern. But Estel didn't answer him, he just continued picking at his food. Suddenly Estel got up and ran out of the room to the washroom that was down the hall._

_"What was that all about father?" asked Legolas._

_"I don't know my son. Maybe you should go check on him." Legolas nodded and went to check on his brother. When he arrived at the washroom, he heard his brother being sick. He went in and walked up behind him, rubbing his back till he was done. After he got sick he wiped Estel's mouth and looked at him with concern._

_"I don't feel so well brother." He said meekly._

_"I can see that." He said with concern._

_"Does anything hurt you?" Estel was about to say what hurt him when another wave of nausea hit him and he got sick again. Getting very concerned about his brother, Legolas ran to get his father. The king became worried when he saw the look of concern on his son's face._

_"Estel is very ill father, come quickly." The king quickly followed his son to the washroom where Estel was getting sick again. Legolas rubbed his back once again and waited till he was done. This time when it was over, Estel was shaking all over and crying. _

_"Estel my son, what ails you?"_

_"I feel very sick to my stomach and," suddenly Estel cried out in pain._

_"Little one, what is it?" Legolas asked with growing concern. _

_"It's my stomach, it hurts so badly." Estel cried. The king took his hand and gently pressed on the boy's stomach, he groaned in agony._

_"Legolas, we must take him to the healing rooms immediately." _

_"Why father?" he asked._

_"I'm afraid Estel has some form of nasty virus in his stomach. If we don't give him any medical attention soon it could get worse." Legolas carefully picked up his ill brother and followed his father to the healing rooms. He suddenly noticed how unnaturally warm Estel felt._

_"Father, he feels like he has a very high fever." They rushed into the healing rooms and gently laid Estel on one of the beds. Thranduil put his hand on Estel's brow and indeed it was hot to the touch, in fact his whole body felt like it was on fire. The king rushed to get herbs for the fever reducing tea and also to help with Estel's nausea. The fever reducing tea he drank with no problems. But when his father gave him the tea for his nausea it came back up. After several attempts Estel finally was able to keep it down, much to Thranduil's relief._

_"Now all we can do is wait." Sighed the king. "It takes awhile for the medicine to fully work. I will check up on him from time to time my son, but right now he needs his rest." So with much reluctance Legolas and his father left the healing rooms, hoping and praying that soon Estel would be well again._

_Later that day, Estel woke up. His stomach was hurting him badly again and he felt like he was going to be sick again. Not seeing his father or brother, he decided to try and go to the washroom in the healing room himself. He almost made it till suddenly the whole room started spinning around and everything went black._

_At supper, the king noticed that Legolas was not eating very much._

_"What bothers you my son that you are not eating besides that Estel is sick?"_

_"I think I should check on him father. I fear something might be wrong."_

_"Very well, if it would put your heart at ease then you may go and check on him." Legolas arrived at the healing rooms, expecting to see his brother still in bed. But when he saw that the bed was empty his heart leapt to his throat. He was about to call for his father when he noticed the still form of Estel lying on the floor._

_"Estel, no not Estel" He cradled the boy in his arms, hoping he was still alive. His father heard his cries and rushed into the room. When he saw Legolas cradling the limp body of Estel in his arms his heart sank. He knelt down beside Legolas and felt for the boy's pulse. He breathed a shaky sigh of relief when he felt one._

_"Don't cry my son. He is still alive. He must have passed out." As if on cue, Estel's eyes fluttered open._

_"Oh Estel," breathed Legolas, "I thought you were dead." Estel looked into the face of his brother and then of his father. Just then a severe wave of nausea hit Estel._

_"Father," he said weakly, "I think I'm going to be sick again." The king quickly got up and got a basin for Estel and indeed he got sick again, violently sick. Then without warning his body went limp again._

_"Estel, no please stay awake! Please brother!" pleaded Legolas. He was heartbroken to see his brother so ill, and he wanted to do anything to take away Estel's suffering. _

_"It is just as I feared." His father said breaking Legolas's thoughts._

_"What father?" said Legolas with a shaky voice. _

_"His condition has become worse. Estel's body is trying to fight the virus but it's loosing the battle. It's weakening him." Legolas wept. No brother, he whispered, hoping that his words would reach Estel's ears. He held him like he would never let him go; fearing that if he did the limp form of Estel in his arms would breathe his last. He felt the gentle hand of his father on his shoulder._

_"Legolas my son don't give up hope just yet. There is still a chance that he will live though this. Believe in me." He moved to take Estel from his son's arms but Legolas flinched and moved away holding the child even closer to him. It was then that the king became aware of what his son was trying to do. He was trying to heal Estel himself._

_"Legolas, please," his father pleaded, "let me take Estel. If you don't let me try to heal him he won't get any better. You're only hindering the healing process." At first Legolas gave his father a defiant glare, but then his hold on the sick boy relaxed and his father took Estel from his son's arms. Estel stirred and a small moan escaped from his lips. The king felt the child's forehead and it starting to feel cool to the touch. Thranduil released a sigh of relief. At least his fever was going down but he knew that Estel wasn't out of the woods yet. He still felt the presence of Legolas in the room. He was about to say something to him when Legolas stormed angrily out of the room and outside to the gardens._

_Legolas ran outside to the gardens trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to come to his eyes. He was angry, angry at himself for thinking that he could help his brother. Finally he could run no more and collapsed to his hands and knees. He gasped for breath and his body began to shake with the sobs of his grief. How much this day had changed. This morning he was planning to teach Estel how to use a bow and now Estel was helplessly lying in the healing rooms. He cried till he could cry no more as grief and exhaustion overcame him and he drifted to sleep._

_Later that day Thranduil became worried over Legolas. It was not like him to be angry like that and most important of all, he had been gone for three hours and had not returned. He went to Legolas's bedroom and opened his wardrobe, hoping beyond hope that he didn't leave the house and the borders of Mirkwood. He sighed a sigh of relief when he noticed his son's bow and arrows and traveling cloak was hanging inside. He sighed again. Then there was only one other place my son must be, he thought. He went outside to the gardens and there he found his son asleep under a tree. He went to his son's side and gently shook him so as not to startle him. Legolas's eyes fluttered open._

_"Father I'm sorry." He said in a tired voice. _

_"Sorry for what my son?" Legolas looked into his father's eyes and the king could see much pain and sorrow in them. _

_"I thought that I could heal him. It hurt so much to see him so weak and vulnerable. But I was wrong. I feel so helpless father. I feel like I failed him." He suddenly became overcome with grief again and he wept. Thranduil took his son and comforted him with soothing words._

_"It's all right son. He will be better soon. You didn't fail him my son." Thranduil felt Legolas's body suddenly relax and he knew that he had fallen back to sleep again. Sighing he gently picked him up and carried him liked he used to when he was little. Oh to have that time back again, he whispered. You didn't have a care in the world, why do you try to carry all your burdens alone my son? A small moan escaped from Legolas's lips and his body shivered. Thranduil pulled his cape tighter around his son. As he took him into his son's bedroom and laid him gently on the bed he silently prayed. _

_"Valar, please put a healing hand on my step-son Estel. And also give strength to Legolas to help him overcome his problems and grief." He kissed Legolas gently on the head before he returned to healing rooms and Estel._

_Estel woke up the next day feeling better but still a little tired. He looked around and saw his step-father asleep in a chair next to his bed._

_"Father, he said. The king woke with a start but then smiled when he saw that Estel was awake._

_"My son, how do you feel?"_

_"Better, but I still feel a little tired. Where's Legolas?"_

_"He's in his room, I'll go get him. You stay where you are. You are still not well enough to be out of bed." Estel wrinkled his nose and Thranduil laughed._

_Legolas was lying on his bed thinking when he heard a gentle knock on his door._

_"Come in." Thranduil entered and Legolas's face fell._

_"Is Estel all right father?"_

_"Yes Legolas. He has finally woken up and has asked for you." Legolas's frown turned into a wide grin._

_"Well I better go see him before he sends the whole Mirkwood patrol to find me."_

_When Legolas entered the healing rooms he found Estel sitting on the bed singing softly to himself._

_"That's a beautiful song little brother. You sing it well." Estel laughed with delight._

_"Of course I do Angel, you taught me that song yourself." Legolas sat on the bed next to Estel and the boy wrapped his arms around his neck._

_"I'm sorry I ruined your plans of teaching me how to use a bow and arrows." Legolas gently smiled._

_"That's all right, I'm just glad that you are feeling better. You really scared me brother. Just promise me that you won't scare me like that again." Estel laughed._

_"I'll try not to. And Angel, you will never leave me will you? Legolas suddenly grew solemn and said, "I promise my brother. I promise."_

Aragorn's labored breathing snapped Legolas back to the present. He noticed that his skin was pale and his body was warm with fever. Boromir went over to the elf's side and put a hand on is shoulder.

"He has gotten worse, what can we do?" But Legolas didn't hear him. _Please brother, remember your promise?_ He silently screamed out in his head. _You are the only hope of men, please don't die. _ Aragorn's breathing became more difficult. Legolas was heartbroken, again he felt helpless. He had failed his half-brother again. Grief stricken Legolas laid his head on his half-brother's chest and wept. The other members of the Fellowship stood solemnly by; too overcome by sadness to say anything. Suddenly to Legolas's surprise Aragorn's breathing became regular again. He lifted his head and placed his hand on Aragorn's brow. It was cool to the touch. Dumbfounded Legolas looked to the wizard Gandalf for counsel.

"What happened Gandalf? What healed him?" Gandalf gave him a wised look.

"It was your tears Legolas." The young prince gave him a confused look.

"My tears, I don't understand." Gandalf laughed gently and knelt down to look at Legolas with his gentle eyes and he put a comforting arm around him.

"Yes Legolas, it was your tears. For those tears that you shed for Aragorn were tears of love. And love my friend, is the greatest healing power of all.

The End.

Me: Well, that's it. What do you guys think?

**Legolas: That was so bittersweet and sad.**

**Aragorn: Wow that was different. But hey, I think it's cool that he was my half-brother.**

**Boromir: And I have my shield back. Wheee!**

Me: All right! Who gave Boromir his shield back?

**Sirius Black: _sweat drops. _Sorry Elena.**

**Phantom of the Opera: Umm Elena, you better stop Boromir. He's going to try to use his shield as a Frisbee.**

**Sirius Black: A Frisbee? Can I catch it, please, please, please!**

_**Boromir throws the Frisbee and Sirius tries to catch it but it hits him in the head and knocks him out.**_

Me: Oh, that's gotta hurt. And if you want anymore Little Estel stories please say so in your review and what they should be about. I'm thinking about doing one for Christmas.


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